Congressional

State Legis.

The
legislature. Generally, the majority and minority leaders in both
houses prepare congressional and state legislative district plans. The
governor has veto power over both plans.

Redistricting Deadline

None.

Political Landscape

The
congressional plan was the result of only modest changes in 1991.
Democrats controlled the process, but were unable to protect their
partisan advantage in the 1994 elections, when they lost two seats that
lean slightly Republican. With split partisan control in 2001, major
changes are unlikely. Only one Democratic seat (Harold Ford’s CD 9) is
completely safe if an incumbent were to step down.

Public Access

Tennessee
does not hold statewide public hearings, although individual
representatives are free to get input from their constituencies. The
public can attend open committee meetings, but there is no special
effort to make the redistricting process more accessible to the public.
There are no plans to use the Internet. Paper maps of introduced bills
may be made available in the legislative library.

Legal Issues

Tennessee’s
1992 house legislative redistricting plan was struck down in U.S.
district court on equal population grounds. Tennessee tried to justify
its 14% overall population variance with its need to abide by the state
constitution and avoid splitting counties. The court refused to accept
this argument in light of the plaintiffs’ alternative plan, which
achieved a variance of less than 10% and split fewer county lines.

A
new plan, enacted by the General Assembly in 1994, was subjected to
three challenges: a partisan gerrymandering claim, a state
constitutional claim regarding the splitting of counties and a minority
vote dilution charge. The court dismissed the partisan gerrymandering
and the state constitution claims but considered the vote dilution
claim. The plaintiffs lost after a trial.

Irregularly Shaped DistrictDistrict 3

Irregularly Shaped DistrictDistrict 4

· Southeast—Chattanooga; Oak Ridge· Includes a few isolated, rural areas· Republican in the 1960s and early ‘70s; then a 10-term hold for Democrats; Republican since 1994· 87% white; 12% black; 1% Asian; 1% Hispanic

· Northeast and south central· Includes 22 counties; rural· Local needs can take precedence over national issues· 1992 redistricting removed some Democratic voters, contributing to the 4th electing its first Republican since Reconstruction· 96% white; 4% black